Date: Thu, 7 Mar 2002 19:28:21 +0000 (GMT)
From: Alec C. <alecsandria@yahoo.com>
Subject: From the Inside Out 1/1

Pairing: Justin/Chris, Lance/?

Disclaimer: this story is completely fictional. Nsync are not gay as far as
I know. I've got nothing to do with Nsync part from the fact that I'm a
fan. All other characters part from Nsync were made up by me.

Rating: NC-17

Author's notes:
the italics bits are taking from a fictional book written by one of them!

It's an AU story. There's no Nsync in this one.
Dedicated to Jaxx, Katherine, Ath and T.
Feedback: Alecsandria@yahoo.com


From the inside out. 1/1

"There were four of us; the Infant, Nurse, Hobbit and Looney. We were
friends for life. We met in circumstances that were unusual for a
friendship to be born and grow in, but we managed. Everything was great
until that one day that I saw him. He changed everything."

The door to the cell opened and Chris Kirkpatrick blinked against the
flashlight that shone in his eyes.

`You all have a new room-mate. He was brought over from State; lack of room
was their excuse.'

A young man was pushed inside the cell and the door closed again. Chris
looked at the young man, who was shivering and had wrapped his arms around
himself in a non-verbal way of protecting himself. Chris reached out with
his hand.

`I'm Chris Kirkpatrick, most people call me Hobbit.'

`I... My... Lance.'

A warm hand slipped inside Chris's and Chris pumped the hand up and down a
few times. He sat up and pointed at the empty bunk across from him.

`You can have this one or the one on top.'

Lance looked at the empty bunk and placed his bag on it. `This one is
fine.'  He sat down and wrung his hands nervously.

`Are you alone in this cell?'

Chris shook his head. `Darren is on top of yours and the Infant is
sleeping.'

`The Infant?' Echoed Lance.

`Justin is the youngest around here. He shares this cell too.'

Chris saw Lance ponder that for a moment. `But there are two bunks free...'

Chris lifted the blankets behind him and Lance saw a man with boyish looks,
a thumb in his mouth, sleeping with an arm curled around a teddy bear.

`Now you know why we call him the Infant.'

Lance giggled nervously and started to unpack his bag.  He quickly took the
ugly sweater that was part of the uniform off and slipped off his rough
cotton pants. He crawled under the blankets, hiding his personal belongings
that he had unpacked.

`So why are you here?'

Lance buried himself deep under the blankets before answering Chris. `I hit
a guy, he died.'

`Murder?'

Lance shook his head. `We got in a fight, I hit him, and he died of a heart
failure. An EMT told me that the guy didn't die because of the injuries he
obtained in the fight but when my court case started that EMT was nowhere
to be found and I was convicted of attempted murder.'

`Why did you hit him?' Chris rubbed his nose and made himself comfortable.

`He called me a fag.' Lance whispered.

`Are you?'

`Am I what?'

`Well, you either hit him because he was right and you were scared that
people would find out, or you just got pissed that he called you a fag. I'd
guess for the first option if you asked me.'

Lance stared at Chris. `How... Why...'

`I've got a good gaydar. Don't be offended.'

Lance shook his head. `Just shocked.'

Chris wriggled a bit in bed and yawned. `Enjoy your first night
here. You'll get used to the noise and the shit soon.'

`Night.'

Chris turned around and wrapped himself around Justin and fell asleep.

**

Later that night he woke up from muffled cries. He turned around to see if
Lance was perhaps feeling homesick when bile rose in his throat. Darren was
lying on top of Lance. His hand pushed Lance's face in the pillow as Darren
pounded in and out Lance's body. Chris wanted to do something but it was
too late now. He felt Justin curl up behind him and a soft whimper was
barely audible. Chris laced his hands with Justin's and tried to comfort
the kid. Chris squeezed his eyes shut and covered his ear in a futile
attempt to block Lance's cries. He was no match for Darren. If Chris said
or did something he would be next on Darren's list. Chris just hoped that
the nightmare would be over soon for Lance.

**

Chris crawled out of bed as soon as he heard the first guard walking
around. He quickly glanced in Lance's bunk. The blonde man was lying
against the wall, curled up with his fist in his mouth. Chris hesitatingly
reached out to touch Lance but withdrew his hand. He'd better get someone
to tend to Lance's wounds. Chris knew that Darren wasn't gentle.

Lance opened his eyes after he heard Chris sneak out of the cell. He tried
to take a deep breath to relax his aching muscles. This was not how he
expected to spend his first night in jail. He rolled his shoulders and
stretched his legs. He looked up and saw the boy they called the Infant
sitting up in his bunk. He still clutched the teddy bear to his chest and
had his thumb in his mouth.

Lance winced when he attempted to sit up and his cry was echoed from the
other bunk.

`I'm Lance.'

With a slurping sound Justin withdrew his thumb. `Justin.'

`Where is Chris?'

Justin shrugged. `I hope that he will be back before Darren wakes.'

Justin had just finished the sentence when two feet swung over the edge of
the bunk over Lance's and Darren jumped on the floor. Justin pushed himself
in the corner as much as he could and Lance just stared at the man. Darren
was tall, ugly and looked at Lance with lust in his eyes.

`My, My, look at this, two lovely young men for breakfast. Where's your
body guard now, Infant?'

Justin started to whimper and tears were falling down his cheeks.

`Move one inch either way Darren and I'll have your balls for breakfast.' A
deep voice boomed from the entrance of the cell.

Lance nearly broke his neck when he jerked his head to the left to see who
was talking to Darren. A tall dark-haired man stood next to Chris.

`Hey, Joe. I was just teasing the youngsters.'

Joe growled. `That's not all you did last night. I warned you the last
time.'

Darren raised two hands in the air. `I never touched C again.'

`Fuck you.' Mumbled Joe and sat down on the bed next to Lance.

Lance stared at him with big eyes. Joey reached out and with a yelp Lance
moved away from him.

`He's a nurse, Lance. It's ok.' Chris said from the other bed. Lance looked
at him. Justin had all but crawled in Chris's lap and sucked happily on his
thumb, although he carefully watched Darren's moves.

Lance eyed Joe nervously but allowed him to turn him around and check his
backside.

`I didn't bring all the stuff with me. Can you walk?'

Lance looked over his shoulder and nodded. He was touched by the gentleness
he hadn't expected from the rough looking man. Joe helped him up and Lance
hissed as pain spread through his lower back. Joe gave him his sweater and
threw Darren another hateful look.

`I'm just a few cells down.'

Joe guided him out of the cell and to the left.

`Can we just...?'

`We can just walk around. Enough guards here to keep an eye on things and
we get certain privileges if you behave.'

Joe stopped for a cell. `Ma casa, tu casa. Or something like that.'

Lance entered the cell and saw that it only had two bunks. He shivered when
he thought of sharing just with Darren.

`Here, sit down.'

Joe walked to the corner of the cell and Lance suddenly noticed that there
was another man in the cell. Joe tapped him on the shoulder and the man
turned around. He had long dark hair and was hunched over a book or
sketchpad.

`C, Chris has a new room mate.'

The man slowly turned his head and looked at Lance with piercing yet
friendly blue eyes. `Pretty.' He turned around again and Joe laughed.

`C has spoken man; you are Pretty from now on.'

 "That's how Pretty got into our lives. We all had done things to end up in
here but Pretty, he wasn't a jail guy. He was... He was too Pretty. But
Pretty surprised all of us and he managed to settle into the daily
routine. Of course he wanted to know our stories now that he had told
Hobbit why he was here. It was Nurse that took us all outside on the third
week and we sat down for a chat."

Joe had made a real effort. He had invited them all for a picnic that
morning over breakfast. Lance was still getting over the shock of his first
night in prison. He instantly ran when he saw Darren and he hardly slept at
night, constantly checking if Darren was sleeping.

Justin just attached himself to Chris and Lance had to giggle each time he
saw the small man with the tall boy behind him.

Joe had picked a beautiful day. The sun was shining and the grass was
feeling warm. He had spread a blanket on the floor and placed some cups and
drinks on it.

`Where is C?' Chris asked as he sat down. Justin instantly dived in his
lap. Joe looked around and noticed C standing at the fence staring at
something on the ground.

`I think that C has spotted another rare life form.'

Justin rolled his eyes. `We won't hear the end of this for a while.'

`C constantly wanders about and than comes back with enthusiastic tales of
some species he has discovered.' Chris explained when he saw the confused
look in Lance's eyes. `In case you haven't noticed; C is missing a few
marbles.' Chris swirled his finger around his ear to emphasize his words.

Joe came back with a struggling C who was constantly looking over his
shoulder. `They'll die Joe.' He repeated over and over.

Joe patted C's shoulder and pushed him on the blanket. C looked around and
smiled. `Pretty.' He mumbled when he spotted Lance.

Joe poured them all a drink and Lance just sat there enjoying the sun.

`So Pretty here wants to know why we are here.' Joe broke the silence after
a while

`Well d'oh, we broke the law.' Justin snorted.

Chris slapped Justin's hand and sighed. `I guess that it's only fair to
tell you after you've told me. Shall I start?'

Chris looked around the small group of people. Joe nodded, Justin shrugged
and C was lying on his back looking at the sky.

`We're poor. I've got 5 younger sisters and my mum and dad just couldn't
get enough money to feed us all. They both had 2 jobs but it just didn't
pay enough. One night I got the brilliant idea to rob a store for the
money. That way we would be able to give my youngest sister a real birthday
party. I got caught on camera and here I am.'

`Did you hurt anyone?' Lance asked in a soft voice.

Chris shook his head. `I got about $100 in cash and a smile on my sister's
face that I will never forget. It was worth it though.

`I can be short about my story. I went to medical school, sold some
medicine to other students and got busted, nothing dramatic. Just doing my
time and then I'll probably start working in my dad's business.'

Lance nodded. He had already figured out that Joe wasn't a man to talk much
about the past. He wasn't the kind of person that would dwell on things
that had happened.

`Justin?' Lance focused his attention to the youngest person in the
group. Justin was playing with the hem of Chris's shirt.

`I... He... I...' Justin buried his head in Chris's shoulder.

`I'm sorry Justin. I... I just wanted to know. I won't...' Lance blushed
and turned away.

`The bastard hurt my sister and I hurt him.' Justin suddenly blurted.

Chris rubbed his back and said: `Justin caught his stepfather doing things
to his sister that a father shouldn't do. Justin grabbed his baseball bat
and started hitting. He didn't stop until the police finally
came. Unfortunately Justin had just turned 18.'

Justin whimpered and Chris whispered something in his ear.

`What about you C? How did you end up in here?'

C turned his head and smiled at Lance. `Pretty.' He said again.

`He won't tell. We've all asked him and we have no clue why he is here. He
just smiles and that's it.' Joe refilled their drinks.

C got up and wandered off again.

`I sometimes think that he needs to be on the psychiatric ward but he seems
to be ok here.'

`Are you and C together just like...?' Lance blushed again.

Joe started laughing. `Oh god, no. I've got my woman at home waiting for
me. C and I have been cell mates from the beginning. C took a liking to me
and doesn't want anyone around him. Well part from you three. He's ok with
that, but...'

A loud screaming was heard from the other side of the grass and Joe jumped
up. Lance, Chris and Justin followed right after. Joe scanned the group of
people and saw Darren in a corner. A hand fluttered past Darren and Joe
started running.

`Shit, Darren has Looney.'

Lance looked to his left and saw that Chris curled his hand around Justin's
biceps. `Don't think about it, Infant.' Chris said in a low voice.

Justin took a deep breath. `He is hurting C.'

Joe had reached Darren and C and pulled the first man away. Chris couldn't
hold Justin anymore and the young man ran across the field to Joe and
jumped on Darren. Darren fell to the ground and Justin started pounding on
Darren's face with his fists.

Chris grabbed Lance by his wrist and yelled; `Come on.'

They reached the scene just when Joe was trying to get Justin off Darren.

`Infant, he's not worth it. Let him go.' But Justin didn't seem to hear
him. He was releasing his anger in a blind rage.

Chris jumped on Justin's back to knock him off balance and Lance turned to
C.

C was pressed against the wall and his hands fluttered wildly in the
air. He mumbled incoherent words and Lance didn't know what to do. He
noticed that C's fly was open and he was missing a few buttons on his
shirt. Lance knew from his own grueling first night that Darren was fast.

Lance tried to get hold of C's hands but they moved too fast.

`C?' Lance thought that talking to him might work.

C looked him straight in the eyes. `Clouds are blue. There were 4, now
there are 5.'

Lance blinked a few times in confusion. He reached out for C's hand again
but this time C moved away from the wall and literally danced away.

`Get him Pretty. Don't let Looney get away.' Joe yelled from his position
on top of Justin to calm him down.

Lance dashed after C and grabbed hold of his shirt. `Come on C. Joe needs
your help.'

C slowly turned around and smiled. `Nurse?'

`Yes Nurse...' Lance was still getting used to the nicknames.

C started to titter about the worm he had seen this morning as Lance led
him to Joe.

Lance noticed that Chris had finally managed to calm Justin down and he was
now cradling the Infant in his arms. Joe was waving to Lance as they
approached.

`I'm going to take C back to our cell. Darren has been taken to the
hospital ward. He won't be back for a while.'

Lance nodded and sat down next to Chris to wait until Justin was ready to
go inside.

"The incident with Darren left everyone shaken. Pretty, who wasn't used to
the touchy feely routine we had going, constantly jumped when Darren's name
was mentioned. Darren never returned to his cell. Instead they decided to
split up Nurse and Looney. Nurse found himself with 3 new cellmates while
Looney woke up to an empty cell. All hell broke loose soon after."


Lance couldn't sleep. Each time he closed his eyes the image of Darren
pulling down his boxers appeared and he opened his eyes again. He has his
back turned against the wall, the only way he felt a little safe. Darren
was still in the hospital ward but Lance was scared that they would send
him back to the cell in the middle of the night. Lance shifted a little and
closed his eyes again. He stiffened waiting for the image of Darren to
flash before his eyes. His breath was caught in his throat when he felt
someone sit down on his bed. Lance opened his eyes slightly to glance at
whoever sat down. He exhaled when he saw Justin sitting next to him. Justin
reached out and touched his arm.

`Pretty needs sleep.' Justin traced Lance's eyebrow in a childish manner.

Lance wanted to let the boy know that he was awake but Justin pushed his
teddy bear against Lance.

`Teddy will keep you safe.'

The simple gesture made Lance choke back a sob. Justin crawled off the bed
again and Lance buried his nose in the teddy bear. It smelled of Justin, a
gentle and innocent smell of baby shampoo. Lance closed his eyes and fell
asleep.

He didn't notice that Joe was moved into the cell during the night.

Lance woke up early in the morning because everyone in their surrounding
cells seemed to be screaming all at once. It was a mantra that echoed
through the halls;

`Nurse. Nurse. Nurse. Nurse.'

Lance sat up and rubbed his eyes. He was surprised to see Joe standing in
their cell.

`Joe?'

Joe turned around with clenched fists. Lance instantly flinched and moved
away on the bed.

`They came to get me in the middle of the night. I didn't even have time to
wake Looney up!'

Joe's anger was very evident in his tone.

`Can't you go and get him?' Lance asked in his innocence.

Joe shook his head. `They've locked the door.'

Joe slammed his fist again the iron bars and sighed.

`I just need to see him, just to let him know that it's ok.'

The mantra grew louder and Lance had to cover his ears.

Suddenly the door to the cell opened and Joe dashed out. Lance scrambled
out of the bed to run after him. He followed Joe in his pajamas.

The mantra was slowly replaced by a high pitched scream.

Lance stood still in the doorway of the cell Joe used to stay in. C was
standing in the middle with his arms wrapped tightly around his middle. He
was rocking back and forth while screaming on the top of his lungs. Joe had
wrapped his arms around C and tried to comfort him.

Lance's ears were hurting and he stepped inside the cell. He approached C
with the greatest care. Lance slowly placed a hand on C's arm, drawing slow
circles with his finger tips. The rocking stopped for a second before it
continued. Lance placed his other hand on C's arm and started to draw the
same lazy circles. Again the rocking stopped but this time for
longer. Lance extended the circles to long strokes up and down C's arms.

The screaming stopped and slowly C's tightly shut eyes relaxed and
opened. His body was still extremely tense but Lance noticed that C's arms
weren't wrapped around his body as tightly as before.

Lance looked at Joe and their eyes linked.  Lance smiled.

`It's ok. Nurse is here for you.' Lance whispered in a deep voice.

C tilted his head back until it rested on Joe's shoulder. Lance moved his
hands to C's upper arms and the older man closed his eyes. Slowly but
surely Lance rubbed the tension out of C. When C unfolded his arms, Lance
pulled him and Joe into a bone-crushing hug as far as he could.

"Nurse managed to persuade the warden to let C move in to the cell with
him. After all, the Infant and the Hobbit didn't need much space. Nurse
talked for three hours straight but he managed to get five people into one
cell. Looney took the bunk above Pretty and Nurse dumped his stuff on the
bunk over the Hobbit and the Infant. It was like a small family. Pretty
took care of them all. But he forgot to take of himself."

Life in a cell built for four took some getting used to, but they all
managed. Chris and Justin were attached at the hip and Lance fussed about
them not eating enough. C had calmed down after his panic attack and Joey
took even better care of him now. He always made sure that C knew where he
was or took the older man with him when he went anywhere.

Lance suffered from insomnia. His constant fear of Darren returning to the
cell kept him awake night after night. He slept an hour or so before he
would wake, drenched in sweat after another nightmare. He had even locked
himself in the toilet a few times to get some much-needed sleep.

This night wasn't any different. He had slept a little under an hour before
jerking awake. Lance turned a few times until he heard some muffled cries
coming from Chris and Justin's bed. Lance turned on his side again and
pulled the covers up. Justin was moving over Chris in a slow rhythm. Their
bed covers had been pushed back a little and Lance found himself hypnotized
by the two sweat-covered bodies moving together in unison. Justin tried to
silence Chris's moans of passion by kissing him, but Lance could still hear
some deep-throated moans.

Lance sighed and closed his eyes. He wouldn't be able to sleep again after
seeing that. He slid out of bed and grabbed a towel and his toilet
bag. Maybe a shower would put his muscles and mind at ease.

The bathroom was empty but Lance hadn't expected otherwise. He walked into
the stall furthest away from the door and placed his toilet bag on the
wooden shelf that was attached to the wall. He turned the shower on and
made sure that the water was close to scalding hot before he undressed and
stepped under the stream. He bent his head forward and let the water run
down his back.

The image of Justin and Chris kept appearing as soon as he closed his
eyes. He heard the erotic sound of flesh moving against flesh echo in his
ears. It turned him on. Lance ran his hand down his chest until he came in
contact with his already rock hard dick.  He slowly started to jerk off
with the image of Justin and Chris burning behind his closed eyes.

Suddenly his head made contact with the wall as he was pushed forward.

`Where are your friends now huh?' Darren's voice echoed through the empty
bathroom stalls. Lance's eyes flew open but he wasn't dreaming. Darren was
behind him pushing him again the wall. Lance tried to bring his arms up so
that he could push himself backwards but one arm was folded in front of him
and the wall pressed painfully against his skin. The other was lodged
behind his back where Darren pushed it higher and higher.

`You know kid, life is hard and so am I. You were the best I had so far.'

Lance made a fruitless attempt to turn around so he could push Darren away
but he was rewarded with a hard tug on his arm and his head slammed into
the wall again. This time the sharp edge of the titles tore his skin and
Lance felt blood running down his face.

`It's 5 am in the morning. No one is getting up for an hour. It's just you
and me.'

Lance felt a hand fumble at his back and he started to whimper. Again
Darren slammed his head hard into the wall and this time Lance felt a wave
of pain from the area near his eyebrow.

Darren kicked Lance's legs apart and Lance braced himself for what was to
come. But nothing happened. Instead, the weight on his back disappeared and
Lance heard a surprised cry.

The tears that were threatening to spill finally descended down his cheeks
as he slid down the wall to the floor. The steam in the small stall made it
impossible for Lance to see what was happening and he tried to crawl away
into a corner. He was sure that whomever pulled Darren away would finish
what Darren had started.

`Pretty?'

A voice penetrated the fog inside Lance's head. Lance blinked a few times,
trying to see through the steam.

`Pretty?'

A hand touched his shoulder and Lance jerked away.

`No, don't touch me!'

`Pretty, it's me, Nurse.'  Joe's voice sounded so far away.

Lance shook his head a few times.

`Don't. You're bleeding.'  His head was titled to the side. `Oh man, you
need stitches.'

Joe's hand disappeared and Lance pulled up his legs to cover his nakedness.

`I've got a towel here. It isn't big but I have to get you to the hospital
ward.'

Joe helped Lance back on his feet and wrapped the towel around his
waist. Lance suddenly noticed that the shower was off and the steam was
slowly clearing. Darren was lying in the stall across from Lance's. He
appeared to be unconscious.

`Who? How? Did you?'

Lance pointed at Darren with a trembling finger. Joe shook his head.

`Looney came to the cell in a panic and he mumbled something about the
bathroom door being locked. He heard you inside and when I came here the
door was open and Darren was lying there.'

Joe wrapped an arm around Lance's waist and hauled him up next to him. `Can
you walk?'

Lance nodded and held on to Joe.

** Joe placed Lance on the first available bed in the hospital ward and ran
off to get a nurse. Lance touched his throbbing head and winced. The cut
above his eyebrow was still bleeding and it hurt like hell.

`A nurse is coming right away. I also told them to send someone to get
Darren. Although it was tempting to let him lie there and wait for the
rougher guys to get up and shower.'

Lance tried a smile and cringed in pain.

`I'm just off to see if Looney has calmed down and to let him know that
I've found you in one piece.'  Joe squeezed Lance's hand.

`Can you get the Infant for me?'

`Sure.'

Joe walked off and a nurse appeared beside his bed.

`That needs stitching.'  She said after looking at the two cuts on Lance's
head.

She grabbed the tray with the syringe and the thread and needle and started
to do her work. Lance closed his eyes and bit his lip as the needle pierced
his skin.

`Now, that's done. Come back in a few days to get a check-up.'  The nurse
placed a bandage over the stitches. `Stay in bed for a day or two and if
you get nauseous report back here.'

Lance nodded. The nurse gave him a small smile and gathered the items she
had used to stitch the two cuts.

A new nurse pushed the curtain aside. `You've got a visitor.'

Justin appeared behind her, holding Lance's clothes. `Hey, Pretty.'  Justin
was visibly shocked and he sat down next to Lance. `Nurse said that you
wanted to see me?'

Lance nodded and took the clothes from Justin. `Close the curtain, please.'

Lance quickly put on his boxer shorts while Justin had his back towards
him. `I just wanted to thank you for helping me out. I knew that it was you
that knocked out Darren.'

Justin frowned. `I...I was still asleep when Looney came back.'

Lance placed a hand on Justin's arm. `It's ok. You didn't kill him. I just
wanted to thank you.'

Lance finished getting dressed. `I won't tell Hobbit. You just did it to
help me.'

Justin protested some more but Lance shook his head. `It's ok, Infant.'

** "Life returned to normal. The stitches were removed after seven days and
the small scars were the only reminders of what had happened that
morning. Darren wasn't to be seen again. He was moved to a high security
prison and Pretty was finally able to relax again, but not for long. Five
would soon be four, and four would soon be three, until there was just
Pretty left."

It had been raining for days. Everyone was edgy. No one had been outside
for a while and being cramped up in a small cell didn't do much good for
the spirit. Little arguments were turning into big fights and every day
inmates were taken to the hospital ward for treatment.

The cell with the five friends was relatively quiet. Lance was sitting on
his bed reading a book. C was lying in his lap with his head humming a
children's song. Joe was writing a letter to his girlfriend and Chris and
Justin were stealing kisses while they were both attempting to play a card
game. The peace and quiet was interrupted by a guard who entered the cell
carrying a linen bag.

`Pack up Timberlake. You have been released.'

Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at the man.

`Released?'  Justin echoed with big eyes rapidly filing with tears.

`Yes, you heard me. Your sister finally decided to tell the authorities
what your stepfather had done and they are releasing you.'

`But....' Chris rose from the bed. `He has nowhere to go.'

`That's not my problem. Now pack. You've got five minutes.' The guard
stepped outside the cell again.

Justin broke down in tears. `I don't want to go.'  He clung to Chris for
dear life.

Joe jumped off his bed. `I don't think that you have a choice.'

`Nurse, please, don't make me go.'

Joe pulled Justin in a tight hug. `I don't want you to go. It won't be long
before Hobbit will be released. He only has a few weeks left.'

Chris took the bag that the guard had dropped on the floor and started to
pack Infant's few personal belongings.

`Hobbit?' Justin's voice sounded fragile.

Chris shook his head. `Don't, Infant. Don't.'

Looney stared at Lance and Lance touched his cheek. `He has nowhere to go,'
mumbled Looney.

Chris finished packing and shoved the bag in Justin's arms. He turned away
again before Justin could see the tears in his eyes.

`Hobbit, please.' Justin grabbed his arm. `I don't know where to go. I
can't go home. I don't know where home is.'

Chris turned around and held Justin tight. `Maybe your mum told the warden
where they live now.'

Justin shook his head. `She would have written me.'

`Time's up.'  The guard grabbed Justin's arm and pulled him away from
Chris. `There's no time for passionate good-byes.'

`Give me five minutes.' Justin begged but the man shook his head.

He dragged Justin out of the cell. Justin started to kick and scream and
reached out to hold Chris but the guard was quicker. Before Chris could
come to Justin another guard had closed the cell.

`Infant!' Yelled Chris. `Go to my parents. They'll take you in!'

`Hobbit, I don't want to go.' Justin's screams became fainter.

`Tell everyone that I love them. I'll be out soon.'

Justin's cries faded and Chris slumped again the bars. Joe pulled the
crying man against him.

`He's gone, Nurse. Gone.'

Joe moved Chris away from the bars. `He'll go to your parents. Within a few
weeks your time will be done and than you'll see each other again.'

Chris nodded but he didn't look convinced. A few weeks later Chris was
released.

** They got a new cell-mate a few hours later. Lance was again sitting on
his bed reading with C in his lap.

`Oh great, a bunch of fags.'

Lance looked up and saw a new inmate standing at the cell entrance.

`Fags or not. This is your cell Todd.' The guard left and Todd placed his
bag on the bed that once belonged to Chris and Justin.

Lance stared at the tall blond man. He had played football in his high
school years judging from his broad upper body.

Lance returned his attention to his book.

`So what do you fags do around here part from fucking each other
senseless?'

Lance sighed. He felt C flinch and he looked at Todd. `There is nothing
much to do but fuck each other senseless. Is that an offer or were you just
asking?'

Todd raised his hands. `I was just asking. I don't swing that way.'

`Looney and Nurse don't swing that way either so it's just me you have to
watch. I'd suggest sleeping with your back against the wall.'

C started to giggle and Lance couldn't help smiling either.

Todd gave him a weird look but he didn't mention the topic again.

One day after Lance and Joe came back from their kitchen duty they found
the cell empty. A note was lying on Lance's bed and he folded it open.

`A butterfly came in and took me away. The birds are calling, the sky is
blue. I saw a car today. It drove away. Todd wore the same boxers two days
in a row.'

Lance looked at Joe and raised an eyebrow. `This is Looney's way of letting
us know that he was released or moved to another cell block?'

Joe shrugged. `Two days in a row?'

Lance started laughing. `It's just you and me now.'

** The `you and me' lasted for three months. Lance and Joe got their own
cell and made the best of it. Justin and Chris had come to visit
them. Justin had indeed gone to Chris's parents and without any questions
asked he was accepted into the family. They both beamed with happiness. He
had asked Chris to find out what had happened to Looney but Chris wrote him
each week to tell him that Looney had vanished from the face of the earth.

Joe was the last one aside from Lance who got released. He had served his
time and was free to go. The small cell suddenly felt immense. Lance
thought that he could hear his own thoughts echoed back to him. He had
never felt more alone that the first night without Joe. Within a period of
six months he had lost all his friends to the free world.  They still came
to visit him on a weekly basis but it was different. After the hour was
over Lance watched the three men walk outside but he was still living a
life within bars.

Luckily for him no one tried to talk to him. They all left him alone. His
new cell-mate, a tall kid with pimples, cried himself to sleep each night
and Lance feared that if he had to spend the remaining years of his
sentence with him he would end up like Looney. He had caught himself
talking to a flower just the day before.

Needless to say that he was surprised when a guard came in one day to tell
him that he had been released. Someone had found a mistake in his arrest
and he was free to go.  Lance suddenly found himself outside the prison
walls with nothing but the clothes he wore when he came in and the few
things that were packed in a linen bag.

He didn't want to go back to his parents. He had no idea where Chris or Joe
lived so basically he was homeless and out on the streets. When he walked
out of the prison, a limo was parked across the street and the driver got
out.

`Mr. Bass?'

Lance nodded.

`I have been sent to pick you up.' The man opened the car door and Lance
hesitatingly approached the car.

`Who sent you?' His parents didn't have the cash to send a limo for him,
and if they did they wouldn't have bothered.

`I'm not allowed to say.'

Lance took a deep breath and stepped inside the dark car.

The driver closed the door and Lance sat in darkness.

`Hello, Pretty.'

A light turned on and Lance stared at C's smiling face.

`Looney?'

Lance dived forward and hugged the man. `Where have you been? Chris and Joe
have been looking everywhere for you.'

`I had a project to finish.'

C pushed a button and said: `Samuel, take us back to the house please.'

`You talk differently.'

C ignored Lance's remark and pulled a book out of the bag lying on his
lap. `I brought you something.'

Lance took the book and looked at the cover. It was a picture of an empty
cell with the words "From The Inside Out" written across the cover.

`Read the back.'

Lance turned the book over and started to read the back.

I had given up on love. It was possible to start and deepen a friendship
inside the prison walls, but love? No, that was impossible. Until one day I
saw him and I could only utter one word: Pretty.

`You wrote a book?'

C nodded.

`But... I thought.'

`You thought that I was crazy. Crazy people can write books, Lance.'

Lance's mouth fell open. `You've never called me Lance before.'

C shrugged. `It's our story. The story of five strangers and a friendship
that grew inside the prison walls. They all think that it's fiction.'

`They?'

`My agent, my publisher, my parents. There are five people that know the
truth.'

Lance's head was spinning. `Who are you?'

C titled his head to the left. `My name is Joshua Chasez. Everyone calls me
C.'

`Why were you in jail? What did you do? How come you're inside a limo?'
Lance fired his questions one after the other.

C pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and showed Lance a picture. `See
this man?'

`That's you.'

C shook his head. `This is my twin brother Tyler. Tyler is mentally
challenged.'

Lance's eyes grew big.

`Tyler met a few people he thought were his friends. But they only used
Tyler for the money. My parents always treated us the same and we got the
same allowance. Those friends were always causing trouble around town. I
told Tyler many times not to get involved with them but he was just so
happy that he had friends. One day they set fire to a house not knowing
that a grandmother and her two grandchildren were sleeping upstairs. They
died in that fire. Tyler's friends told the police that he had set that
fire.' C rubbed his face.

`Somehow they believed his so-called friends. Tyler was arrested and
sentenced to life in prison. Our lawyer tried to convince the court that
Tyler may be slow but that he would never set fire to a house. The jury
wasn't convinced. Tyler had to go to prison.'

C turned slightly towards Lance in his seat. `I couldn't let my brother go
to jail. It would be the end of him. He would be raped or killed within
weeks. I went to visit Tyler and managed to persuade him to let me take his
place. Tyler walked out of the cell dressed like me and I went to prison
serving my brother's sentence.'

Lance took hold of C's hand. `You went to prison for your brother?'

C nodded. `I would walk into a burning house if I had to. Anything to keep
him safe.'

C took the book from Lance. `I wrote this while we were inside. I had to
pretend to be crazy. Maybe I am a little crazy for throwing away years of
my life.' C laughed. `I did a pretty convincing job, didn't I?'

Lance nodded.

`My parents would have bought me my freedom whenever I had had enough. I
almost had enough right before you came. I had been molested and nearly
raped and if it hadn't been for Joe, I would have been dead by now. But
than I fell in love. You looked like an angel, big green eyes filled with
fear as you stood in our cell. I stayed for you. I wanted to get to know
you. I wanted to know how an angel would end up in jail. But after a while
my dad wanted me out. He donated a big sum of money to the prison and I was
released.' C squeezed Lance's hand.

`As soon as I was out I told the lawyers to go through your file with a
fine toothed comb to find anything that could set you free. I found the EMT
who told you that the guy died of a heart problem and not the blow to his
head. The lawyers did the rest.'

`You got me out?'

C nodded. `An angel like you shouldn't be locked inside.'

Lance covered his head with his hands. `I need some time to process all
this.'

`I understand. My father wants to offer you our flat in New York so that
you can recover and get yourself back together.'

C pulled Lance close. `I almost lost you when Darren tried to rape you
again. I nearly killed him.'

Lance jerked up. `You did that?'

`The bathroom door was locked. I kicked it open. How else do you think Joe
could have gotten in?'

`I thought that the Infant had done that.'

C smiled. `Justin is getting treatment at the moment to control his
anger. He was the one missing a few marbles. Justin was suffering from
childhood trauma.'

Lance took a deep breath. `You are in love with me?'

C chuckled at the sudden chance of topic. `From the moment I saw you.'

`I...I... I don't know what to say. I mean, you sacrificed your own freedom
to protect your brother.'

`My brother means the world to me Lance. He is my other half. I feel alone
and empty without him. But Tyler is happy now. He is living in a community
where he gets constant treatment and he can finally do what he wants
without people influencing him.'

`You have a big heart.'

C smiled a sad smile. `But you don't love me, right?'

Lance shook his head. `I fear that you don't have enough love for me. Look
at you. You've got money, a big car and parents that would do anything for
you.'

`But I can't buy what I want with all the money in the world.'

Lance stared at his hands. `Maybe you can give me something that money
can't buy.'

`Anything!'  C exclaimed.

`Give me time. Time to process all this. Time to get to know the real
you. Give me time to fall in love with this new you as deeply as I had
fallen in love with Looney.'

C hugged Lance again. `I will give you all the time in the world. Is
tomorrow long enough?'

Lance started laughing. `Maybe.' He placed a chaste kiss on C's
lips. `Maybe not.'

The limo slowed down and C released Lance from his tight embrace. `But I'll
start giving you that time after tonight. Tonight is for the five of us. I
know that there are three very impatient men waiting right outside this
limo at the moment, dying to see you. Tomorrow will be the start of your
time.'

Lance gave C another kiss, more passionate this time.

`I'm ready to be crushed to death.'

`Samuel, you can open the door.'

The End.